Sharing, Caring, Helping, Protection and Cooperation by Mindfulness and Right Understanding.

20 October 2015

Part Three : QA and Dhamma Discussion (USA)

Question and Answer and Dhamma Discussion

with Overseas Disciple from USA (Part III)

You need to abandon your habitual
understandings. Started from the leader,
your 'mind', you need to learn to abandon all the actions of 'doing'. If not, your mind will always be busy with
'doing this and that', 'saying this and that', 'contemplating this and that',
'concentrating this and that', 'doing this and that good deeds', 'taking this
and that precepts', etc.

If your mind only understand the
action of 'doing', your power of 'doing' will be increased. Your ability in doing kamma actions will also
be increased. But they are not the genuine
mind power of 'abandoning'.

Your power of true 'abandoning'
will be increased only when you have the right understanding and faith in
'abandoning'. Hence, you need to start
changing the actions of the leader, your 'mind'.

You will always be remained as
ordinary yogi (meditator) as long as you practice meditation with the
understanding of 'doing' and 'practicing'. You will also be contemplating on
and practicing meditation like other traditional yogis.

If you observe 'sila' with conventional
understanding in mind, you will only become one of those who take Uposatha
(precepts) in conventional ways.

If you do good deeds with
conventional understanding in mind, you will only become one of those who do
good deeds in conventional ways but will not know how to do good deeds to
achieve perfection (parami).

Starting from the leader, your
'mind', you need to learn to do the right actions such as using living and
non-living beings for abandoning purpose.

Change must be started from the
leader, your 'mind'. Only then, you will learn to use physical (kamma) and oral (vaci) actions for
abandoning purpose ... do actions with the power of abandoning in mind, say
things with the power of abandoning in mind, etc.

Started from the leader, your
'mind', you must try to abandon all your physical actions. By doing so, you will gradually be able to 'abandon'
all the created actions such as worries, anticipations, suspicions, 'I', me,
place, possessions, life, death, health, well beings as well as placing central
emphasis on those created actions in your mind.

Placing central emphasis on life
and death in your mind can be called as 'placing life and death as prime
importance'.

Use your state
of health and sickness ….. Do not end your path over the state of health and
sickness.

Placing central emphasis on health
in your mind can also be called 'placing health as prime importance'.

In order to abandon those actions
of your mind, you need to do 'abandoning' at all times ... be it whether you
are healthy or sick. Even while
listening to dhamma teachings or while practicing meditation or etc, you still need
to remember and contemplate on 'abandoning' in your mind.

You need to listen to dhamma
teachings and practice meditation with the understanding of 'abandoning' in
your mind.

The essence of this teaching is to
change the duties and actions of the mind because mind creates everything.

Becoming this and that is also the
created action of your mind.

Feeling healthy or sick is also
created by your mind. By nature, your physical body will either be healthy or
sick. Mind will automatically interpret
this nature as feeling healthy or sick.
Hence, those feelings are purely the creations of your mind.

If your mind is associated with
pleasant feelings, you will feel pleasant.
If your mind is associated with unpleasant feelings, you will feel
unpleasant.

Unpleasant feeling is created by
your mind. Pleasant feeling is also
created by your mind.

Good or poor concentration is also
created by your mind.

The real duty is to stop doing all
those created actions of the mind and perform the single most important action
of 'abandoning' all the time.

When the actions of the leader,
your 'mind', is changed, all the actions of the followers will automatically be
changed.

If the actions of the leader is
not changed, the actions of the followers will never be changed.

Since the leader is your 'mind',
the leader must do the action of 'abandoning' continuously at all times. Only then, the actions of the followers,
physical and oral actions, will be changed.

If you know how to do the actions
of 'abandoning', you will discover that doing 'abandoning' in your mind is not
as difficult as you think. You will
always perceive 'abandoning' as difficult if you do not even try it out.

Use
your mind sense ….. Do not end your path by wavering over tranquillity of
mind and disturbance.

We habitually do all kinds of actions
for 'doing' purpose. This is the proof
that our habitual understanding is not perfect and complete. We only possess
the power of 'doing' but do not possess the power of 'abandoning' in our mind.

You have to train your mind to do
'abandoning' continuously, including abandoning the concept of using living and
non-living beings for grasping purpose.
If you keep on training your mind to do 'abandoning' continuously, you
will eventually understand 'the truth of abandoning'.

The truth of doing is 'created
truth'. Concentrate this and that, contemplate on this and that, go here and
there, say this and that, do perceived good things, avoid doing perceived bad
things, I, you, my belongings, your belongings, all are called created actions
and hence they have the power of created truth.

Carrying out actions with 'I' in your
mind has the power of normal human being.

Doing actions with 'educated
person' in mind can be considered as merely using the created power of the majority
of educated persons.

From using limited power of
created truth 'doing', you should switch to using unlimited power of original
truth 'abandoning'.

By being associated with original
truth, your mind will gradually be able to use unlimited power of original
truth and gradually be able to abandon using limited power of created truth.

Being associated with original
truth is like consuming multi-vitamins.
If you consume not so powerful multi-vitamins, you will only feel slight
improvement in your body. If you consume powerful multi-vitamins, you will
surely be benefitted fully by consuming them.

If you associate your mind with
limited created power, your mind will receive limited created power. If you associate your mind with unlimited
original power, you mind will definitely be benefitted fully from unlimited
original power.

Habitually, we do physical
actions, oral actions and mental actions by using limited created power.

The purpose of my teaching is to guide
you to switch the power ... to guide you to use unlimited original power of
your mind when you do actions, to use unlimited original power when you talk,
etc.

Use
your knowledge. Do not end your path by wavering over understanding and not
understanding.

By nature, all the minds are the
same ... be it mine, yours, human beings, animals ... the basic concept of the
mind is the same.

All the physical bodies are the
same, made up of bone, blood, veins, muscles ... be it young, old, man, woman
... the basic structure is the same.

Though people are using different
languages, e.g. Myanmar language, English language, etc, the basic intention of
using language is the same ... to communicate.

The essence here is to change our
way of doing actions and to change the power of using mind, life, money, etc.

As a beginner, you have to put in
your best effort to get use to this method thought it is difficult. You find this way as difficult just because
you are unable to abandon your habitual way of doing actions in your mind.

Mind always keep habitual and
usual way of doing actions ... every mind has it ... worries, suspicions,
doubts, anticipations, doing deemed right or wrong things ... as long as you
cannot abandon those habitual created actions of your mind, you will never be
able to do 'abandoning' successfully.

If you keep on doing 'abandoning'
in your mind continuously, you will gradually be able to stop doing habitual
and created actions of your mind.

As long as you manage to abandon
your habit of doing routine actions of your mind, you will gradually be able to
do 'abandoning' in mind more successfully and perfectly.

You might feel uncertain and
unsure during initial phase. You might
also experience mental stress. If you
cannot overcome those initial difficulties, you might never be able to experience
the change.

You
should strive to practice till there is no more need to practice and you
become absolutely free from desire.

As for me, I have always been
solving countless of same problems and issues of yogis (meditators) on regular
basis over the years, like teachers and educators who are always handling the
issues of illiteracy. The more you have
encountered the same problems over and over again, the better your power of
solving those problems and issues.

Since I have always been solving countless
of similar problems and issues of yogis and disciples over the years, I become
expert in this field of solving the problems and issues of 'mind'.

Whichever field you choose to be
in, if you keep on training continuously and diligently, you will gradually
become champion in that field.

Like sportsman ... if he keeps on
training on the sports which he is interested in, he will gradually become
champion in that sports.

As for me, I have always been
practicing as well as helping and teaching yogis and disciples to understand
and comprehend with real sila,
samadhi, panna and bhavana in a right
way, I become expert in this field. As
such, I can help, guide and coach more effectively now.

Moreover, I am leading my yogis
and disciples by example, by doing limitless good deeds continuously and
diligently for many years. I am also leading
and guiding those who are interested in and those who wish to practice true dana, sila and bhavana.

Since I am in this doing good
deeds or merit making circle and personally involve in handling these issues
for many years, I now can solve these issues more effectively than others.

Traditionally people can do any
kinds of dana (good deeds
or donations) at any time and place, observe sila at any time and place by taking precepts,
practice meditation at any time and place by following the methods and
instructions from the manuals ... all are not difficult actions. You can do those actions either at home or on
your own or you can simply go to any of the meditation centres to do it. Not that difficult.

Daily activities to participate ….

ThaBarWa Centre or ThaBarWa Yeiktha is an ideal place for learning and practicing meditation as well as for helping others who have physical and mental limitations and difficulties.

Our center takes care of everybody, regardless of age, race and religion, who cannot support themselves and survive on their own due to various reasons and at the same time teaching them how to meditate and purify their mind.

The population of our centre is more than 2,500. By staying at our centre, you will have plenty of chances to experience and participate in the following activities …

1. Following the monks in their daily alms rounds and helping in distributing the alms food to infirm, old folks and meditators.

2. Taking care of and assisting infirm or old folks with their chores.

3. Visiting branches of ThaBarWa Centres (across Myanmar).

4. Learning Burmese culture and the people.

5. Attending insight meditation session and classes.

6. Helping in the kitchen, cooking and distributing food.

7. Helping in the health care, in the clinics and wards.

8. Helping in the library.

9. Assisting Venerable with management, IT and technology.

10. Visiting the mercy villages which were established (by ThaBarWa) for homeless and needy families and individuals.

11. Sharing your language, IT and technology knowledge and expertise with adults and Children of our centre.

Sayadaw Ashin Ottamasara

Please click the photo to visit Sayadaw's facebook

Biography

Sayadaw Ashin Uttamasara was born in Katha, Sagaing Division, Myanmar on Sunday 26th October 1969.

Since his youth he placed full value on education. He passed Matriculation in 1986 with flying colors. After completing a B.A (English, Honors) from the University of Yangon in 1992, he became a young entrepreneur and successful businessman within a short period of time.

Faced with difficulties and frustrations in running a complex business for 7 years, he sought refuge in the Dhamma in 1999. With the help of a Dhamma friend, he entered the Mogok Meditation Centre at Insein Monastery for a five-day meditation retreat, becoming initiated in Dhamma contemplation and practice.

From February 1999 to January 2002 he deeply concentrated on meditation. He became so devoted to Dhamma that he was able to reduce his business calmly, without much attachment.

For the propagation of Dhamma he donated all the assets he had accumulated during 6 years of entrepreneurship. He then concentrated on charity, morality and insight contemplation to find the perfect Truth.

In 2002, he was ordained in Yangon by Sayadaw U Nayyasagara and started to teach Vipassana Insight Meditation.

Today, Sayadaw teaches Dhamma and Guided Vipassana Insight Meditation in various institutions, schools, hospitals and individual residences in Myanmar and other countries.

Sayadaw remains a well-known name throughout the shores of Myanmar and beyond.

Thabarwa is a place for everyone!!

Thabarwa Center is a non-profit humanitarian organization working for a noble cause.

We provide a home sweet home for everybody (both for locals and foreigners alike), unconditionally.

We open 24 hours a day, seven days a week without recess.

The activities of Sayadaw Ashin Uttamasara and Thabarwa Center are wide and various, serving the spiritual and physical needs of thousands from far and near.

More and more visitors from all over Myanmar and abroad are coming daily to visit, learn meditation and volunteer their skills and time in caring for those taking refuge at Thabarwa Center.

Good deeds at Thabarwa

• Providing refuge not only for meditators but also for the old aged, homeless, orphans, loners, infirm and the people with physical and mental difficulties.

• Currently more than 2,500 people (as of October 2015) taking refuge at our centre.

• Providing health care, food, clothing, shelter, clean water for cooking and drinking, etc. and offering aids and support for free of charge.

• Solving day to day problems of centre residents, meditators, volunteers and visitors.

• Communicating and cooperating with volunteers, charities, non-profit organizations and philanthropists from Myanmar and abroad.

• Conducting daily Vipassana Insight Meditation and Dhamma Talks.

• Conducting retreats in the traditions of renowned vipassana meditation masters. All the meditation methods are being utilized without attachment to any particular method.